This is the Palpatine I love - the mastermind, the schemer, the puppet master. Never a situation which he cannot turn to his advantage. These two episode were outstanding.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
@@directorforplastic7929 i can say that for now outstanding all the show are good for now i was right for my monters was evel he play that for char char jay was in like jar jar bank to play him from to meet him okay thanks.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
I don't know if it was intentional or not but love the connections with Andor. We see that Palpatine doesn't care at all for the normal senate session. He only appears when necessary.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
As a veteran who served 4 years in the US Navy episode 7 hit me hard. At the end of my service I was checked out of my command and pretty much left to go it alone. I am fortunate enough to have had friends and family support me but not everyone does. There was a 1 week course called TAPS which was supposed to help transition us out of service. 4 out of the 5 days was about resume writing. An hour of the final day was to teach us broadly about our benefits and any assistance programs. The programs are there just not well funded or easy to find. If you've ever had to use the VA you will understand. These episodes , especially episode 7, hit a little to close to home for me. People voluntarily serve and once they are done they are pretty much told "good luck have a good life". Sorry for the mini rant. This topic is really important to me and glad to see it covered.
@@prowindowlicker2234 I loved these episodes as well. Filoni clearly wants to point out the hypocrisy in the way the US treats their veterans, though thankfully here it doesn't have to be that way. Hopefully one day we can get things to change and redivert funding away from the actual weapons spending like Alex was saying
Was very happy to see Chuchi back. Hope she'll come back in this season, and she's a good spiritual successor to Padme (role-wise). Also, indeed, her bodyguard was an absolute unit.
I am glad I am not the only one who saw the resemblance between her and Padme but also Leia. At the same time like I said in my comment, she's an OG Clone Wars character from Season 1 so seeing her again was awesome.
As likewise happy as I am to see Chuchi following in Padme’s footsteps, I was also hoping to see Chuchi’s darker/anti heroic side (aka the blackmailing tactics that we saw during her Clone Wars senator days). Hopefully, that side of her will show up during Andor Season 2, or during a potential New Republic political thriller spinoff.
These episodes were phenomenal! The biggest surprises for me were Chuchi's return and Vice Admiral Rampart's downfall. I've been wondering for years what happened to Chuchi after the end of the war and at least in the short run, we got the answer. As for Rampart's demise, my bet is Tarkin will now have even more direct control over the transition.
I was previously praying for Crosshair to snipe Rampart on Tarkin’s orders, but Rampart being publicly disavowed/thrown under the bus was equally satisfying too, I guess! 😂
Senator Chuchi: "I have obtained this information from Admiral Rampart's flagship!" Other Senator: "The one that was just attacked by terrorists who killed several clones and inflicted millions of credits' in damage?" Chuchi: "That's not important right now."
The ending with Echo was a real gut punch cause he'll always be my favourite character, but I'm glad that he got more development and hope he returns later with some other clones who turned.
Remember, Echo is a clone reg who was a pow and an unwilling experiment victim. He still aligns himself with the plight of the clone regs than the Bad Batch.
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
To me, Omega learning and watching the wretched side of politics and its consequences just hits hard. It's like Ahsoka with the war, Ezra with the Empire's occupation, even Kaz with the First Order's destruction of Hosnian Prime. They are all young souls who deserve to live happily, only to be trust upon a world that could very well kill them. For all our stupid adult problems (politics, greed, hatred and even pointless SW fan debates), it's our kids who would suffer the most.
On the brighter side, Omega is starting to form important connections with future members of the Rebellion/New Republic (Hera, Rex, Chuchi, Bail Organa). Hopefully, those relationships will persist into the time of the Mandoverse! (With Leia interacting with Omega in her father’s stead, due to Alderaan being destroyed)
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
These episodes felt a lot like Andor, and I don’t just mean because they had the imperial senate, I mean they were so full of tension. Every single scene felt like it was on a powder keg waiting to blow up and go horribly wrong for the heroes. Just like with almost every episode of Andor, I found myself practically holding my breath through the entire experience, waiting for that one inevitable moment where the plan falls apart.
I might be overthinking it, but I wonder if the in-universe justification for the stormtrooper name is an allusion to the "storm" cover story for Kamino's destruction.
The reveal at the end just seems like a reminder that Palpatine isn’t just a typical villain who punishes/kills anyone who fails him. He’s a calm, calculated psychopath that manipulates everyone around him as if he was playing a twisted game of chess Edit: fixed a typo
What a shame that his strategic focus/brilliance gets overshadowed by his overconfidence/ego whenever a Death Star goes into play. (Especially by the time of the second Death Star)
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Which is worse? If you fail Darth Vader, for example, he’s just gonna kill you, usually by telekinetically strangling you, but if you fail Palpatine, he’s just going to allow you to think that he doesn’t know anything about what you did, and continue manipulating you without your knowledge to twist your failure into an even worse victory for him. I can totally understand why some would prefer a quicker, more physically painful death by Force strangulation
@@cornhub8823 I like him but you don’t find them to be left leaning in general ..?? Comparing the military to the empire lol. There are two sides to why we need a strong military. I felt like he definitely looked at it from the left. And one take they had that frustrated me was their defense of the retcon of the Ashoka novel when it comes to lgbtq. Normally they tell you to get over your retcon issues in star wars until it was impacting lgbtq. And I can’t stress enough I do love their show these are conservative nit pics
@@Mitch2dc He does seem to lean left, however his views seem to come from a genuine place rather than one that is trying to push a narrative and alienate certain political groups. As far as the comparisons between the U.S.Military and the Empire, he’s talking about how both care more about the institution than the individuals. I do agree about how we need a strong military, but there are a lot of veterans who have felt they did not get the care they deserved returning home from their service.
Infuriating that the Emperor used the clone's forced obedience to kill his main enemies and seize total control of power, then using that same characteristic to betray them, but also masterful storytelling.
I can’t imagine the thoughts of the shock troops arresting rampart and listening to all this. I know shock troops had a superiority complex but who knows how they felt. Knowing that all they’ve done is what they’re told and they’ve been betrayed
Honestly, what Palpatine did was similar to how he used the Jedi to help him gain and maintain his power. And he ultimately them betrayed them as well when it benefited him. Palpatine is a master strategist.
For a brief moment before he killed himself, I thought the assassin could be Boba Fett working as a bounty hunter, but having an unmarked clone is so much more interesting
That’s a good guess. Star Wars 1313’s story was about a younger Boba Fett doing jobs in lower coruscant. The concept of art for his armor was scraps of Jango’s and the rest didn’t look to far from what we saw in this episode. Shame the game got cancelled.
Here's the thing Boba and Omega are the same age, even if Boba looks and acts older he did grow up in an entirely different environment to Omega and you tend to age faster physically and mentally when you're constantly fighting whether it's for a job or for your life. But Omega and Boba are in fact twins.
@@guilhermevelhote5307 no it's literally said omega saw the bad batch grow up faster than her and it's stated that they are twins in the show itself in season 1 I have no idea where you got the she's the last clone thing or if you made it up but she's not
I was starting to think things were going a little too well for the clones by the end… you’d think as a Star Wars fan of many years I’d be able to see these Palatine schemes coming a mile away… but wow. Nicely done Palpy.
I was honestly curious how the Batch succeeding would lead to Palpatine getting the vote passed anyway. Nobody can turn defeats into victory better than he can.
I feel like the clone assassin could show how many clones even after "waking up" would still follow their orders and serve the Empire, after all his final words was referring to himself as "A believer" and we know from the comics that the last few batches of Clones never had their chips activated but still served loyally.
I was waiting for a potential tragic reveal that Dogma (from the Umbara arc) was the assassin, but I guess having the assassin’s identity remain a mystery works too…
That's definitely a possibility. I also wonder if his lack of serial number indicates that the Empire has its own black ops unit of secretly-manufactured clones who weren't "contaminated" by the ideals of the Jedi and the Republic. Or perhaps he's a product of the secret mountain base we saw at the end of Season 1.
@@michaelramon2411 I do remember in Legends the Republic had a secret black-ops unit of clones designed to go find and execute deserters during the war. So if this is a canon version stuff like if it was started by the Empire or the Republic we'll have to wait and see.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Those clones in the comics were not from the last batches, they were the last to be trained on Kamino. The last viable batches of clones would be around 2-3 years old, and were serving as part of the Stormtrooper corps during the Galactic Civil War. The Clones aren't exactly being decommissioned, we've already had multiple stories 19 years down the line with Clone Stormtroopers. It's the Clone Army that's being decommissioned.
It was bad enough that Crosshair (the sniper) stayed with the Empire, but now Echo (the hacker) has also left the team to commit to Rex’s cause. Anybody want to guess that the next episode(s) will focus on the Batch going on a recruitment spree? (To replace Crosshair and (temporarily) replace Echo) I recommend Fennec Shand as Crosshair’s replacement (after she tells the Batch about her mission from Nala Se).
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
@@linphou5739 Before inserting your comment the tenth time, could you not find the seconds to translate it into a form one can understand? English is only my 2nd language, so I might be wrong.
Ya the Palpatine stuff is cool and important, but at the same time as someone who grew up with Clone Wars from the start, I never thought I'd ever see a character like Senator Chuchi again. That character goes all the way back to when we were kids in the first season. She's all grown up now learning to be a senator and is not a kid anymore. Such great memories and furthers my need to eventually go back and watch every Clone Wars episode again. Fantastic episodes, and yes seeing Echo leave was sad since I do hope we see more of the entire Batch back together again in the future soon.
With the Senate being a hollow shell of its former self by the time of Andor, I’m very scared for older Chuchi’s fate (by that point in time). Hopefully, by then, Chuchi will have already gotten to safety (via self-exile), and is discreetly sending Monthma a handful of ships and funds here and there.
@@topnotchshinobi I would hope so too. I really do hope that Chuchi is kept safe because she is like it was said in the show one of the good ones. I hope we see her again.
@@OrionInSpace Chuchi is certainly a “good egg”, but she’s not without her anti heroic traits either (e.g. her Clone Wars era capacity to blackmail her enemies). Maybe Chuchi will later be setup as yet another “gray morality” rebel amongst Mon Mothma and Bail Organa’s allied leaders? (In contrast to Saw Gerrera’s ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ extremism)
@@topnotchshinobi wait when did she do that? Was it in a book? And ya if that characters arc shows anything it might be a good hint that she'll join up with Mon and Bail. We just never saw her in any of the active projects that featured the rebellion.
Incredible episodes, and your analysis helped me digest the ending with Echo a little more. My gut reaction was frustration, mainly because he never got to do anything meaningful in Season 1, and now they are shelving him just as things are ramping up. But looking at it as a way to jump-start the rest of the Batch and motivate them to start making a difference is a great way of looking at it. I have a feeling he'll be absent longer than Sabine was, but we'll see.
I always found it interesting that the Bad Batch and the Resistance share similar musical themes; so whether or not the Batch survives to the end of their series (let alone survive to see the Empire get replaced by the New Republic), I think it’s reasonable to assume that the Batch will eventually acquire widespread fame/infamy as symbols (and/or martyrs) of rebellion.
I have this pit in my stomach every time I watch Rex go out of his way to help the clones yet knowing in Rebels only he, Gregor, and Wolffe are there to join the Rebellion. Like something really bad is about to happen. In canon there are clones still serving in the Empire by the original trilogy and I'm not saying all these great moral troopers we know such as Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, Omega, Howzer, Cody, and (maybe if he ever makes an attempt to redeem himself) Crosshair can't possibly be alive before A New Hope, but it does pose the question _"well then, where are they?"_
I think they want to keep their ultimate fates unknown for now while their show is still running. I'd love to see an adult Omega in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, though.
Rampart being taken down by the same institution he served was SO good. It doesn't matter how much he dedicated his life to it, he was just another cog in the machine. Just like Crosshair.
If we want to speculate about that clone sniper, my immediate thought is that he (and potentially others out there like him) is the first incarnation of what would become the purge troopers we see just a couple years later in the timeline in Fallen Order.
My money is on the Batch having to save Echo and Rex from some trouble they get themselves into later on and that will prompt them to more directly get involved in helping more clones escape from the Empire. Bonus points for someone making a joke about the Batch Having to save Echo from captivity again. Extra bonus points if that is what prompts Crosshair’s change of heart and return to the Batch and/or a heroic sacrifice to save his brothers.
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Glad you said it Alex. These two episodes made having to watch "Faster" and "Entomed" worth it. Here's to the hope that the rest of the season goes this well!
@Star Wars Explained .... This double episode of The Bad Batch make a strong correlation to the plight and treatment of military veterans after their service ends. Often the government, will give them a final Thank You, then send them off back into civilian society to fend for themselves; often with detrimental consequences for the ex-serviceman (and women). They are in many ways forgotten by the government they served loyally.
This episode actually made the Imperial destruction of Kamino make a bit more sense. Palpatine needs it gone so that he can justify a conventional army and use that to integrate his population into the Empire. Whether it is a freak storm or a rogue admiral doesn't matter to him - he just has to take away the safety net of the clones so that the normal citizens will get involved. Also, the fact that Kamino no longer has a senator leads me to believe that the Senate has a bylaw for what happens if a civilization is totally destroyed, which I find both funny and sad.
Alex, its never harping to get an explanation and reminder as to why Lucas included the themes he did in the original trilogy. There are real life parallels and lessons we should be taking away from this and it's amazing you're willing to explain them. Keep it up!
having this episode drop right after the 2023 State of the Union is one hell of a coincidence. love the real world parallels, it was like watching the West Wing except everyone loses
My biggest question (maybe for the Q&A): Rampart says there are millions of clones, but I can't remember if we've seen any ID numbers greater than 4 digits. I know it's for simplicity, but it makes me wonder how the ID numbers work and if there's some sort of shorthand for them
Their numbers are usually like CT-4030. The first two letters would be a batch with 10,000 clones in each batch. There would be 676 possible letter combinations for batches, for a total of 6,760,000 clones.
fives’ full designation is CT-27-5555, though i believe the 27 has never been used to refer to him outside of the cadet arc. it’s possible that there’s more digits, and the last four are the ones mostly used. maybe kinda like social security numbers/debit and credit card numbers?
I was not expecting two episodes this week and braced myself at the end of the first for a week of waiting, but what a nice surprise to have both drop together
4:46 - I'm a veteran, so I 100% agree with the real-world take that more resources can be given to those who need help. In the Star Wars Universe, I would say it's an even greater imperative because the clones did NOT have a choice in joining the military. They were created for that purpose and, to some, should be discarded as easily as the scrapyards full of Venators seen in ANDOR or TIE fighters in THE MANDALORIAN. Yes, dedication to those who volunteer in reality is important. But the more apt comparison here in the US would be the treatment of drafted military members sent off to Vietnam and then forgotten when they got home. They, like the clones, weren't given a choice.
I might be crazy thinking this, but I was so sure that the clone assassin was Ochi at first glance. The helmet looked somewhat familiar to what he wore in the Vader comic, and I spent the whole episode thinking how it’s a perfect link to his future with the Sith and such, then it turns out to be a clone lol
A sure sign you’ve gotten older as a Star Wars fan… 2008-2013: Another procedural senate vote episode? UGH… 2023: a procedural senate vote episode?? HELL YES!!
@@StuartLugsden Haha, I won’t lie… I think for me it’s because this is the imperial senate, not the republic senate. I always wanted to see that in action ever since Tarkin mentioned it…
@@StuartLugsden Yeah me too… but I think Rebels was designed to be more in the style of the original trilogy where we’re in the heroes position and never actually see what’s going on at the center of the galaxy. … that and the budget was way too low for Coruscant and Disney had the mindset of ‘prequels bad. No one like prequels’ at the time. 😅
These really felt like episodes of the clone wars, which was very exciting. The conspiracy arc was one of my favorites from the clone wars, at least this time it didn’t end with another member of Domino Squad dying, but I did still get teary eyed at the end when Echo said goodbye
I was gripping at my seat the whole time. With the number of onscreen deaths in these two episodes I genuinely had the thought of "they- they wouldn't kill Chuchi would they?" In the back of my mind. But I also just enjoyed how nobody in these two episodes was wearing the "idiot hat" and doing something out if character/dumb to progress the plot. Slip was scared yes, but he always kept to the shadows, Chichi's bodyguards were actually competent in their job if protecting her, the assassin taking himself out, the batches chaotic plan of covering their chaos with more chaos, but then at the end - palpatine turning this massive defete for Rampart into his own personal victory (to steal a line from Star Trek "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose"). Also, echos goodbye with the slow rendition of the theme song, I was literally holding back tears. Also, mentions have been made to links with andor due to the political element of the episodes, but I also liked the link with the book "catylist", with Rampart having the ear of Grand Visier Mas Amada and thinking he was safe due to his proximity to power, much like Krenick who had a similar relationship with Mas Amada, yet whose relationship meant nothing when Tarking took controle of the Death Star following it's completion (with neither Rampart not Krenick no longer needed in the eyes of the Emperor with their projects on the verge of completion).
1. I figured it was a Clone Trooper as the assassin, even with the modulation, it still sounded like one, however I'm not sure what Rex means by him not being a Clone Trooper. What markings are there on a face that tell you? Could this actually be a situation like what Obi-Wan did with Rako Hardeen? 2. I'm still in the camp that Omega is Force Sensative, and I think claiming that meditating not working for her because she isn't is false; she's just more like Anakin in that sense because it was rare he ever did. She's just got too much energy and can't tune out the noise and take her focus away from literally anything. She's been a little too lucky with some things for it not to be divine intervention and at some point, perhaps she'll manifest some power in the Force and surprise everyone. 3. I'd say that Season 1 is better than Season 2 has been so far, however the highs have been higher for Season 2, so they really just need to get the rest of this Season in gear and have more stories focused about the state of the Galaxy and the future of the Clones more frequently. Get some more Crosshair action, a followup on Cody, and see what Rex and Echo are doing, too. Hunter's holding everyone back from making a bigger difference in the Galaxy. He's the one they all turn to and he calls the shots, saying that other people are on a different path while the Bad Batch slunks away. He's the one that needs to be convinced because then Tech and Wrecker will follow.
This is the type of content I love from your channel, though not the only kind. I really enjoy your content, but tying real world happenings with what the show is trying to say, and reminding your viewers how the social commentary has been there since the beginning is great! I love the idea that the frustration about the last few episodes may be purposeful, and I hope you're right. It was heartbreaking to see the emperor swoop in and take what he wanted, but it was masterfully written.
I love when Star Wars gets political. I get tired when people lie about Star Wars never being political. The OT was allegorical for the Vietnam War, and the PT is a critique of the Bush Administration.
I’ve enjoyed season 2 so far, I think stories told in the universe of SW that don’t drive some aspect of the plot are great, Star Wars needs character stories as much as it needs the big dramatic ones. But hoooo boy did these two episodes grab me. What a fantastic set, particularly the first one.
Not that they’ve ever done anything less with their platform, but I was pretty stunned when Alex brought real world military spending into his analysis. Part of what I love about this channel is Alex and Mollie’s willingness to look at Star Wars beyond the context of itself and provide opinions that don’t have anything to do with “canon” in a way more toxic elements of the fan base totally could, but just… choose not to. I’m also especially appreciative of how grounded their opinions are in compassion, and how frequently they try to remind the fandom that even though space battles are cool, compassion is the intent of Star Wars as well; so maybe we should think a more critically about it and be a little less awful to each other generally. You guys and the community you’ve created rock, I hope everyone’s lives are going well.
I feel like the assassin was a clone from Mount Tantiss, like a privately cloned operative. Considering Nala Se is working on something there for Palps.
I love the up-front analogies to the real-world that we see in the stories (and I love that Alex highlights them even further in his videos). Science fiction, regardless of whether it leans closer to fantasy or hard sci-fi, is at its' best when it's speaking truth to power, holding up the mirror, and forcing us to take a look at our own world through the lens of a loved fictional world. And in doing so, helps us find a place in our world; not just for ourselves, but for others as well.
I have 1 small nitpick. Wheres Sly Moore? Why wasn't she on the podium with Sheev and Mas? And where wear the 4 staff members that operate the podium? Again this is a nitpick but this show has a large budget so I don't see why they couldn't create models for them. The senate scenes would be truly complete if they did this.
@@topnotchshinobi Yeah but she was absent for 7 seasons of clone wars because of the budget. The one for Bad Batch is much larger so they should have created a model for her and the podium operators because, again, it would make the senate scenes truly complete. I know this is a massive nitpick, I know I'm just whining but its something I just can't shake. I just want to see everyone in this art style.
These episodes absolutely rocked! What a way to mark the mid-season. They were tense, suspenseful, compelling and had great action and surprises. It was so great to see Chuchi again! I gasped when I realised it was her, all grown up. I always felt she had an underrated arc in TCW, she was very timid and obedient when we first met her then when she returns in S3, she's standing her ground in the Senate and going move for move with the Trade Federation and these episodes took her a step further. I love her new look too, she looked fantastic! It's so great that she is the one mainly advocating for the Clones and harkens back to her friendship with Padmé who also was a big advocate for the Clones too. I love this continuation of Chuchi. Honestly all of the political side of the story had me stressed, I was so worried for Chuchi throughout the whole thing when she starting questioning Rampart and digging into Kamino. I do feel it was smart of her to probe Rampart a bit about the events on Kamino to confirm for herself that he was hiding something. It was risky but I get it. It was great to see her working covertly with Bail and Rex. I also liked that she recognised Rex from working with him during the Clone Wars and how she acted like a mentor for Omega, mirroring how Padmé was a mentor for her. And Darth Sidious voiced by Ian McDiarmid. Fantastic as always. Goddamn that voice gave me chills. Seeing Palpatine was awesome. His speech in the Senate was fantastic and the way he manipulated this unexpected situation to his advantage anyway was masterful. Classic Palpatine, indeed. It was a great inclusion and he was used very well. But damn the way he threw Rampart under the bus was dope. It was great to see Rampart do some political maneuvering of his own but Palpatine just truly showed how resourceful he was. He was clearly banking on Rampart to get the bill through the Senate but even when that plan fell through, he was still able to get his new military. It was an awesome scene. I have mixed feelings about Echo leaving the Batch, even if it is only temporary. Even with his discussion with Omega in the beginning, it kinda felt totally out of left field and I'm not sure how his absence will impact the Batch, especially Omega. I am kinda bummed about that because Echo is one of my favourite Clones and members of the team so I am going to miss having him around. We'll just see how it feels without him in future episodes. Hopefully he makes a return in spectacular fashion!
Honestly seeing Rampart's actions in these 2 episodes really make me worried about what happened to Cody. While I doubt they'd just kill Cody off screen, that would be in line with what Rampart did in episode 7. As Slip said, he won't hesitate to kill clones who know too much. Cody certainly would qualify.
After a couple more lighthearted episodes, these hit hard on so many levels! First it feels like directly criticism of how America handles their military once the troopers discharges from service, especially those that are broken or trauamtized. The trooper who wanted to continue to fight felt like someone would have a hard time finding somewhere else to end up. It also brought up the difficult morale-question of creating life only for war and what do you do with it later. My issue was the ending where Echo left, because, like you have mentioned several times, is that he has sort of been sidelined and by leaving it more or less confirms they don't really know what to use him for. Palpatine being one step ahead also felt very on point. Admiral Ramparte will go in two directions I think, either he is re-located somewhere to a lesser role, or he might turn on the Empire for casting him out. Either way I am pumped for where this is going!
@7:25 I thought it more so he wasn’t a kamino clone, maybe we will see the spartii clones or maybe a cloning process of genetically enchanced soldiers similar to the bad batch who would become the imperial unit known as the “SCAR Squadron”
I don't share the frustration being talked about. The war has been over for less than a year. Hunter is clearly burnt out on fighting and causes and just wants to find a safe place for his squad to live. He knows that's not really possible with the Empire and he does feel some desire to help his brothers and those the Empire is suppressing. But he also knows that's a near impossible task given the state of the galaxy at that point in time. As a viewer, knowing that whatever they might try beyond smuggling clones some safe locations, they are decades away from doing anything but getting themselves killed with very little accomplished, easily outweighs any desire to see them lead something large scale and die even before Kenobi, much less Rebels, Andor and the OT. I want them to survive long enough to at least see the Rebellion in a form that at least has a fighting chance. It's selfish yes, but something big drove Rex, Wolf and Gregor into hiding, and it's probably something to do with why we don't see any clones besides them from Rebels onward. We're roughly 8 years from the homeless elder trooper in Kenobi, but we don't know when the big thing happens. Basically having it happen sooner rather than later plays into Palpatine's hands just as much as the events in these episodes did.
This exact scenario plays out everyday for US soldiers. After their tours of duty and service, they come home and are tossed aside and forgotten The subtle hints of the musical cues from Episode III Order 66 when Palpatine sealed the deal was perfect. Liner also referenced other musical cues when Omega was saying goodbye to Echo
That was what gave it away, Crosshair does not miss. That trooper is apparently using a very similar rifle to his, including the grappling function, but I have to imagine that's probably a reasonably common imperial issue weapon that crosshair might have customized.
I loved these episodes. Similar to the solitary clone, Truth and consequences felt like a typical clone wars episode, with senators sneaking around, getting their bodyguards killed and investigating conspiracies. Where they differ is in the ending. A clone wars version of this ep would’ve ended triumphantly with the evidence being shown in the senate. Just like with the solitary clone, it keeps going afterwards and the bad guys take control of the situation and win. I love it when the bad batch shows parallels to how things used to be, because it shows just how much darker the state of the galaxy is now
I wonder if the Empire getting rid of the clones will also impact Crosshair. Crosshair seems to do whatever it takes to remain a trooper, so I doubt he'd take being dismissed well. That could lead to some interesting storytelling with Crosshair.
It's amazing to me how uneven Bad Batch is. Some episodes are generic kid adventures with completely predictable outcomes and then there are episodes like these two - atmospheric and cinematic conspiracy episodes with brilliant music, palpable drama and great acting. I wish every episode was like this. The best episodes of TCW were the ones that took themselves seriously. Bad Batch should continue this trend. Fewer naive kid adventures and more scheming please.
i definitely think the assassin clone is part of the early stages of the Death Trooper program: genetically/technologically altered, modified speech from the helmet, and the armor looks fairly similar at least from the back
"The government is more concerned about caring for the institution (of the military) than the actual people who make uo that institution" Damn, came for a review of a cartoon. Left with profound thoughts. Bravo 👏
The clone assassin's helmet looks similar to the canon version of the phase two dark troopers, and the droid purge troopers from star wars legends. Also fans have been saying echo has been underutilized maybe echo's temporary department from the bad batch will give the writers the opportunity to let him shine more. Seeing riyo chuchi and rex again is amazing, emotional, and epic, especially with chuchi she was especially underutilized in the clone wars, she's as selfless as she is beautiful, helping the clones as best she can.
Gotta give it up to Chuchi's senate guard. I love star wars' seanate/royale guards bro like either their wildly incompentent or they're the most badass trooper for no reason. Well yes reason ig they gotta protect that senator. Also shoutout to Chuchi herself constantly being thrusted into horrible situations. First with the currupt prime minister from the arc in the clone wars she had to usurp and now like 2 years later the republic becomes the empire and she has to go through all this. props
The riot racing was fun, to be fair. I actually enjoyed that episode more than at least the first of these two. I think this is an area where Star Wars risks taking itself too seriously. For the two-parter on Ryloth, Devil's Deal benefits a lot from Hera and Chopper. Truth and Consequences getting back to the Batch was kind of a relief, and it was nice to have Omega's perspective for the setting, e.g. seeing the Senate chamber.
If all the episodes are dark and gritty, then it becomes stale and less impactful when they don't showcase the positive results or reasons for that fight against darkness. There must be balance.
That clone assassin gave me some republic commando vibes...in the books there were Clone Covert ops who were specifically trained to hunt rouge clones. Two most notable were Moz and Olun.
It was fascinating when they revealed the Assassin's face, because my girlfriend and I had just outright assumed it was Crosshair, but literally 10 seconds before I had remarked to her that it was weird for Crosshair to have missed so many shots while he was hunting Senator Chuchi. And it all becomes clear when the Clone's face is revealed and it isn't Crosshair. Yes, he's probably an excellent marksman which is why he became Rampart's assassin, but if Crosshair had been behind that blaster, Chuchi wouldn't have even made it into that factory let alone delayed him long enough for Rex to arrive. The subtle ways that they do things like this is really one of the things that makes this show so great. In retrospect, it seems OBVIOUS that the assassin wasn't Crosshair, because he misses so many shots, but until his face is revealed that's just the assumption that we're all supposed to make, in spite of the clues that indicate otherwise.
On the US budget issue, defense is about half of the discretionary portion of the budget, meaning it excludes big-budget items such as social security and medicare and medicaid. The graphic in the video actually makes this very clear.
These episodes made me feel a lot because it reminded me of last summer With the honoring our pact act and how it was playing with veterans healthcare.
Really appreciate you making the connection between the message about how authoritarians grab power in the galaxy far far away and how that applies to our own country and world. Star Wars writers have been ever more clear about exposing the sith/fascist strategy of deliberate division and scapegoating in order to conquer and rule for a select few.
I agree that episodes 1, 2, 4, and 5 of this season really are showing how poorly things will go (even when they have victories) and how hallow their lives are without real combat. We see the Bad Batch shine in episodes 6 and 8 when they are back in their element, fighting and covert operations.
Echo leaving is sad but thoughtful. His character was never really developed fully. I felt he had the most to work with (Skanko Minor, pre-capture clone experiences, loss of his original unit.)
These two episodes more than ANYTHING in TBB feel like they could have been adaptations of scripts written for Star Wars: Underworld. Actually, I wonder how much of Underworld feeds into TBB as a whole. I'm sure parts of Solo, Andor, Rebels, OB1 Kenobi, and various comics and novels are adapted from Underworld or at least occupying similar thematic spaces. But TBB is in many ways the closest in concept to Underworld, and this episode set really hit home for me there. You also didn't mention we went to the Martez sisters' shop in Level 1313 here! I was so psyched to hear Rex say he's using the space from some allies of his that are currently off world. I imagine Rafa and Trace are having some very interesting adventures that are also Underworld-esque. I'd love a novel from their perspective that ties into TBB and maybe into the Ahsoka novel!!! :)
One thing I think would of help the start of the second season was put episode 3 as the first episode with crosshair then run with what the first 2 episode they start the season with.but that just my opinion.i still like the bad batch these last 3 episode have been great I have enjoy where they are going in season 2 don't not feel like side mission now.
Once again, we have Ian McDiarmid back as Palpatine. I love it when the Star Wars live action movie actors take the time to reprise their roles in animation.
![[ENGSUB] UNPRODUCTIVE DAY ใช้ชีวิต (เปื่อยๆ) ด้วยกัน 1 วัน! | OUROAD CLOSEFRiEND SS2 EP.9](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pyYKZ3kra9w/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the Palpatine I love - the mastermind, the schemer, the puppet master. Never a situation which he cannot turn to his advantage. These two episode were outstanding.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Yes, they were gooooood 😁
@@linphou5739 that was not comprehensive at all lol
@@directorforplastic7929 i can say that for now outstanding all the show are good for now i was right for my monters was evel he play that for char char jay was in like jar jar bank to play him from to meet him okay thanks.
@@linphou5739 english please
I cried when Omega had to say goodbye to Echo. I think it surprised him when she hugged him.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
They really told that part of the story through Omega’s eyes since she was (and we the viewers were) the last to know.
I don't know if it was intentional or not but love the connections with Andor. We see that Palpatine doesn't care at all for the normal senate session. He only appears when necessary.
A thing that was true in legends. State Pestage was one in charge of the senate in the imperial era. He oversaw it instead of Palpatine Mas and Sly.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
As a veteran who served 4 years in the US Navy episode 7 hit me hard. At the end of my service I was checked out of my command and pretty much left to go it alone. I am fortunate enough to have had friends and family support me but not everyone does. There was a 1 week course called TAPS which was supposed to help transition us out of service. 4 out of the 5 days was about resume writing. An hour of the final day was to teach us broadly about our benefits and any assistance programs. The programs are there just not well funded or easy to find. If you've ever had to use the VA you will understand. These episodes , especially episode 7, hit a little to close to home for me. People voluntarily serve and once they are done they are pretty much told "good luck have a good life".
Sorry for the mini rant. This topic is really important to me and glad to see it covered.
Same. As a Marine the episode hit close to home especially the part where chuchi told the clones that their service will come to an end
@@prowindowlicker2234 I loved these episodes as well. Filoni clearly wants to point out the hypocrisy in the way the US treats their veterans, though thankfully here it doesn't have to be that way. Hopefully one day we can get things to change and redivert funding away from the actual weapons spending like Alex was saying
@@JaviBee Filoni didn't write these episodes.
Thank you both for your service. Know that you are greatly appreciated for your sacrifices by millions of Americans.
I hope we can do better by you and all veterans in the near future.
Was very happy to see Chuchi back. Hope she'll come back in this season, and she's a good spiritual successor to Padme (role-wise). Also, indeed, her bodyguard was an absolute unit.
I am glad I am not the only one who saw the resemblance between her and Padme but also Leia. At the same time like I said in my comment, she's an OG Clone Wars character from Season 1 so seeing her again was awesome.
As likewise happy as I am to see Chuchi following in Padme’s footsteps, I was also hoping to see Chuchi’s darker/anti heroic side (aka the blackmailing tactics that we saw during her Clone Wars senator days). Hopefully, that side of her will show up during Andor Season 2, or during a potential New Republic political thriller spinoff.
These episodes were phenomenal! The biggest surprises for me were Chuchi's return and Vice Admiral Rampart's downfall. I've been wondering for years what happened to Chuchi after the end of the war and at least in the short run, we got the answer. As for Rampart's demise, my bet is Tarkin will now have even more direct control over the transition.
Chuchi returning for Clone Wars OG's who grew up with show was my biggest moment, loved seeing her back
I was previously praying for Crosshair to snipe Rampart on Tarkin’s orders, but Rampart being publicly disavowed/thrown under the bus was equally satisfying too, I guess! 😂
Senator Chuchi: "I have obtained this information from Admiral Rampart's flagship!"
Other Senator: "The one that was just attacked by terrorists who killed several clones and inflicted millions of credits' in damage?"
Chuchi: "That's not important right now."
The ending with Echo was a real gut punch cause he'll always be my favourite character, but I'm glad that he got more development and hope he returns later with some other clones who turned.
Remember, Echo is a clone reg who was a pow and an unwilling experiment victim. He still aligns himself with the plight of the clone regs than the Bad Batch.
I can't wait to see how this goes, with more and more clones finally being able to overpower their inhibitor chips.
Bad Batch needs extraction and suddenly it's Echo with Rex and Cody.
My brother 😢😭
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Amazing episodes.
The political plot was brilliant in these episodes
Governments/regimes may rise and fall, but Coruscant’s decadence/intrigue definitely feels everlasting!
To me, Omega learning and watching the wretched side of politics and its consequences just hits hard. It's like Ahsoka with the war, Ezra with the Empire's occupation, even Kaz with the First Order's destruction of Hosnian Prime. They are all young souls who deserve to live happily, only to be trust upon a world that could very well kill them.
For all our stupid adult problems (politics, greed, hatred and even pointless SW fan debates), it's our kids who would suffer the most.
On the brighter side, Omega is starting to form important connections with future members of the Rebellion/New Republic (Hera, Rex, Chuchi, Bail Organa). Hopefully, those relationships will persist into the time of the Mandoverse! (With Leia interacting with Omega in her father’s stead, due to Alderaan being destroyed)
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
@@linphou5739 this is like the 4th thread I’ve found in under this video. What’s with the spam and incomprehensible sentences lmao?
The silence that occurs right before Palpatine speaks sent shivers down my spine
These episodes felt a lot like Andor, and I don’t just mean because they had the imperial senate, I mean they were so full of tension. Every single scene felt like it was on a powder keg waiting to blow up and go horribly wrong for the heroes. Just like with almost every episode of Andor, I found myself practically holding my breath through the entire experience, waiting for that one inevitable moment where the plan falls apart.
I might be overthinking it, but I wonder if the in-universe justification for the stormtrooper name is an allusion to the "storm" cover story for Kamino's destruction.
I love this headcanon
It'd be funny if Palpatine just coined it on the spot, "storm trooper, hmm yes, has a nice ring to it" because storms were on his mind 😅
@@jessandthebirds I can totally picture Robot Chicken Palpatine saying this.
The reveal at the end just seems like a reminder that Palpatine isn’t just a typical villain who punishes/kills anyone who fails him. He’s a calm, calculated psychopath that manipulates everyone around him as if he was playing a twisted game of chess
Edit: fixed a typo
What a shame that his strategic focus/brilliance gets overshadowed by his overconfidence/ego whenever a Death Star goes into play. (Especially by the time of the second Death Star)
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Which is worse? If you fail Darth Vader, for example, he’s just gonna kill you, usually by telekinetically strangling you, but if you fail Palpatine, he’s just going to allow you to think that he doesn’t know anything about what you did, and continue manipulating you without your knowledge to twist your failure into an even worse victory for him. I can totally understand why some would prefer a quicker, more physically painful death by Force strangulation
I love how Alex isnt afraid to discuss the real parallels that Star Wars has to real life events. It gives his analysis so much more depth.
I love Alex break down as well very deep. I just wish he was less liberal and more down the middle.
@@Mitch2dc I lean right, and find his opinions to be fairly nuanced.
@@cornhub8823 I like him but you don’t find them to be left leaning in general ..?? Comparing the military to the empire lol. There are two sides to why we need a strong military. I felt like he definitely looked at it from the left. And one take they had that frustrated me was their defense of the retcon of the Ashoka novel when it comes to lgbtq. Normally they tell you to get over your retcon issues in star wars until it was impacting lgbtq. And I can’t stress enough I do love their show these are conservative nit pics
George Lucas has always drawn upon real-life events for Star Wars. I'm glad it's still continues.
@@Mitch2dc He does seem to lean left, however his views seem to come from a genuine place rather than one that is trying to push a narrative and alienate certain political groups. As far as the comparisons between the U.S.Military and the Empire, he’s talking about how both care more about the institution than the individuals. I do agree about how we need a strong military, but there are a lot of veterans who have felt they did not get the care they deserved returning home from their service.
Infuriating that the Emperor used the clone's forced obedience to kill his main enemies and seize total control of power, then using that same characteristic to betray them, but also masterful storytelling.
I can’t imagine the thoughts of the shock troops arresting rampart and listening to all this. I know shock troops had a superiority complex but who knows how they felt. Knowing that all they’ve done is what they’re told and they’ve been betrayed
Honestly, what Palpatine did was similar to how he used the Jedi to help him gain and maintain his power. And he ultimately them betrayed them as well when it benefited him. Palpatine is a master strategist.
For a brief moment before he killed himself, I thought the assassin could be Boba Fett working as a bounty hunter, but having an unmarked clone is so much more interesting
That’s a good guess. Star Wars 1313’s story was about a younger Boba Fett doing jobs in lower coruscant. The concept of art for his armor was scraps of Jango’s and the rest didn’t look to far from what we saw in this episode. Shame the game got cancelled.
Here's the thing Boba and Omega are the same age, even if Boba looks and acts older he did grow up in an entirely different environment to Omega and you tend to age faster physically and mentally when you're constantly fighting whether it's for a job or for your life. But Omega and Boba are in fact twins.
@@evildrporkchop4628 Omega is the last clone, while boba was one of the first, they probably have a couple of years apart
@@guilhermevelhote5307 no it's literally said omega saw the bad batch grow up faster than her and it's stated that they are twins in the show itself in season 1 I have no idea where you got the she's the last clone thing or if you made it up but she's not
I was starting to think things were going a little too well for the clones by the end… you’d think as a Star Wars fan of many years I’d be able to see these Palatine schemes coming a mile away… but wow. Nicely done Palpy.
I was honestly curious how the Batch succeeding would lead to Palpatine getting the vote passed anyway. Nobody can turn defeats into victory better than he can.
I feel like the clone assassin could show how many clones even after "waking up" would still follow their orders and serve the Empire, after all his final words was referring to himself as "A believer" and we know from the comics that the last few batches of Clones never had their chips activated but still served loyally.
I was waiting for a potential tragic reveal that Dogma (from the Umbara arc) was the assassin, but I guess having the assassin’s identity remain a mystery works too…
That's definitely a possibility. I also wonder if his lack of serial number indicates that the Empire has its own black ops unit of secretly-manufactured clones who weren't "contaminated" by the ideals of the Jedi and the Republic. Or perhaps he's a product of the secret mountain base we saw at the end of Season 1.
@@michaelramon2411 I do remember in Legends the Republic had a secret black-ops unit of clones designed to go find and execute deserters during the war. So if this is a canon version stuff like if it was started by the Empire or the Republic we'll have to wait and see.
And they still never learn another terrible truth like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
Those clones in the comics were not from the last batches, they were the last to be trained on Kamino. The last viable batches of clones would be around 2-3 years old, and were serving as part of the Stormtrooper corps during the Galactic Civil War. The Clones aren't exactly being decommissioned, we've already had multiple stories 19 years down the line with Clone Stormtroopers. It's the Clone Army that's being decommissioned.
I felt bad for Omega she felt hurt that Echo decided to go help Rex
It was bad enough that Crosshair (the sniper) stayed with the Empire, but now Echo (the hacker) has also left the team to commit to Rex’s cause.
Anybody want to guess that the next episode(s) will focus on the Batch going on a recruitment spree? (To replace Crosshair and (temporarily) replace Echo)
I recommend Fennec Shand as Crosshair’s replacement (after she tells the Batch about her mission from Nala Se).
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
@@linphou5739 Before inserting your comment the tenth time, could you not find the seconds to translate it into a form one can understand?
English is only my 2nd language, so I might be wrong.
@@jochenrudiger right like wtf is this bot talking about seen tht bs like 5 times
Ya the Palpatine stuff is cool and important, but at the same time as someone who grew up with Clone Wars from the start, I never thought I'd ever see a character like Senator Chuchi again. That character goes all the way back to when we were kids in the first season. She's all grown up now learning to be a senator and is not a kid anymore. Such great memories and furthers my need to eventually go back and watch every Clone Wars episode again.
Fantastic episodes, and yes seeing Echo leave was sad since I do hope we see more of the entire Batch back together again in the future soon.
With the Senate being a hollow shell of its former self by the time of Andor, I’m very scared for older Chuchi’s fate (by that point in time). Hopefully, by then, Chuchi will have already gotten to safety (via self-exile), and is discreetly sending Monthma a handful of ships and funds here and there.
@@topnotchshinobi I would hope so too. I really do hope that Chuchi is kept safe because she is like it was said in the show one of the good ones. I hope we see her again.
@@OrionInSpace Chuchi is certainly a “good egg”, but she’s not without her anti heroic traits either (e.g. her Clone Wars era capacity to blackmail her enemies). Maybe Chuchi will later be setup as yet another “gray morality” rebel amongst Mon Mothma and Bail Organa’s allied leaders? (In contrast to Saw Gerrera’s ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ extremism)
@@topnotchshinobi wait when did she do that? Was it in a book? And ya if that characters arc shows anything it might be a good hint that she'll join up with Mon and Bail. We just never saw her in any of the active projects that featured the rebellion.
Incredible episodes, and your analysis helped me digest the ending with Echo a little more. My gut reaction was frustration, mainly because he never got to do anything meaningful in Season 1, and now they are shelving him just as things are ramping up. But looking at it as a way to jump-start the rest of the Batch and motivate them to start making a difference is a great way of looking at it. I have a feeling he'll be absent longer than Sabine was, but we'll see.
I always found it interesting that the Bad Batch and the Resistance share similar musical themes; so whether or not the Batch survives to the end of their series (let alone survive to see the Empire get replaced by the New Republic), I think it’s reasonable to assume that the Batch will eventually acquire widespread fame/infamy as symbols (and/or martyrs) of rebellion.
The music choice for Echo leaving the Batch was perfect, using both the Bad Batch theme and the clone theme from Clone Wars was a good move
It was an incredible episode. Especially for all the politics, love when Star Wars does that.
I have this pit in my stomach every time I watch Rex go out of his way to help the clones yet knowing in Rebels only he, Gregor, and Wolffe are there to join the Rebellion. Like something really bad is about to happen. In canon there are clones still serving in the Empire by the original trilogy and I'm not saying all these great moral troopers we know such as Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo, Omega, Howzer, Cody, and (maybe if he ever makes an attempt to redeem himself) Crosshair can't possibly be alive before A New Hope, but it does pose the question _"well then, where are they?"_
I think they want to keep their ultimate fates unknown for now while their show is still running. I'd love to see an adult Omega in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, though.
This is all new. They can add whatever they want to the cannon. Its a whole galaxy after all, maybe they fought somewhere else.
Rampart being taken down by the same institution he served was SO good. It doesn't matter how much he dedicated his life to it, he was just another cog in the machine. Just like Crosshair.
If we want to speculate about that clone sniper, my immediate thought is that he (and potentially others out there like him) is the first incarnation of what would become the purge troopers we see just a couple years later in the timeline in Fallen Order.
Or Wayland batch with further free thought restrictions as hinted in finale of S1.
Nah, Purge Troopers are trained Jedi killers. More likely to be an earlier incarnation of what would become the Dark Trooper project if anything.
My money is on the Batch having to save Echo and Rex from some trouble they get themselves into later on and that will prompt them to more directly get involved in helping more clones escape from the Empire.
Bonus points for someone making a joke about the Batch Having to save Echo from captivity again.
Extra bonus points if that is what prompts Crosshair’s change of heart and return to the Batch and/or a heroic sacrifice to save his brothers.
And they still never learn another terrible like the bad batch or the senator Riyo they didn’t learn that palpatine is the Sith Lord only Rex knows that he was suppose to tell them so they’ll hate palpatine and Woffle still didn’t appear yet and not even boil or others like slick or dogma
So glad we got to see the other side of Palpatine’s villainy in this episode. He’s more than just an evil space wizard, he’s a dictator.
Glad you said it Alex. These two episodes made having to watch "Faster" and "Entomed" worth it. Here's to the hope that the rest of the season goes this well!
@Star Wars Explained ....
This double episode of The Bad Batch make a strong correlation to the plight and treatment of military veterans after their service ends. Often the government, will give them a final Thank You, then send them off back into civilian society to fend for themselves; often with detrimental consequences for the ex-serviceman (and women). They are in many ways forgotten by the government they served loyally.
I find it really touching that, years after that business on Orto Plutonia, Senator Chuchi still remembered Rex's name
This episode actually made the Imperial destruction of Kamino make a bit more sense. Palpatine needs it gone so that he can justify a conventional army and use that to integrate his population into the Empire. Whether it is a freak storm or a rogue admiral doesn't matter to him - he just has to take away the safety net of the clones so that the normal citizens will get involved.
Also, the fact that Kamino no longer has a senator leads me to believe that the Senate has a bylaw for what happens if a civilization is totally destroyed, which I find both funny and sad.
One of the best episodes of the series!
Alex, its never harping to get an explanation and reminder as to why Lucas included the themes he did in the original trilogy. There are real life parallels and lessons we should be taking away from this and it's amazing you're willing to explain them. Keep it up!
*2 Episodes of trying to find evidence for a crime*
Palpatine: It was that guy.
Bad Batch: WTF
having this episode drop right after the 2023 State of the Union is one hell of a coincidence. love the real world parallels, it was like watching the West Wing except everyone loses
Some of the best Bad Batch episodes. Honestly amazing. I knew Echo would leave but I still teared up. I cannot really put the rest of it into words.
My biggest question (maybe for the Q&A): Rampart says there are millions of clones, but I can't remember if we've seen any ID numbers greater than 4 digits. I know it's for simplicity, but it makes me wonder how the ID numbers work and if there's some sort of shorthand for them
Their numbers are usually like CT-4030. The first two letters would be a batch with 10,000 clones in each batch. There would be 676 possible letter combinations for batches, for a total of 6,760,000 clones.
@@Michael_ORourke I was under the impression that CT stood for "Clone Trooper", and not a batch code.
fives’ full designation is CT-27-5555, though i believe the 27 has never been used to refer to him outside of the cadet arc. it’s possible that there’s more digits, and the last four are the ones mostly used. maybe kinda like social security numbers/debit and credit card numbers?
@@podracer35 ah yes it does. Never mind what I said!
@@Uranicc that makes sense. I kinda figured it would be like social security numbers too haha
I had a feeling there was going to a Jar-Jar Binks-type of plot device, using a senator to effect the need for a broader military.
I was not expecting two episodes this week and braced myself at the end of the first for a week of waiting, but what a nice surprise to have both drop together
4:46 - I'm a veteran, so I 100% agree with the real-world take that more resources can be given to those who need help. In the Star Wars Universe, I would say it's an even greater imperative because the clones did NOT have a choice in joining the military. They were created for that purpose and, to some, should be discarded as easily as the scrapyards full of Venators seen in ANDOR or TIE fighters in THE MANDALORIAN.
Yes, dedication to those who volunteer in reality is important. But the more apt comparison here in the US would be the treatment of drafted military members sent off to Vietnam and then forgotten when they got home. They, like the clones, weren't given a choice.
I like the fact that the clones are all getting more unique, Slip gets a beard, Cade has a small accent
I viewed cade’s accent more as him being lightly drunk lmao
I love the connections to the Mandalorian with that electric cyanide pill. It makes sense why Imperials would use them when captured.
I might be crazy thinking this, but I was so sure that the clone assassin was Ochi at first glance. The helmet looked somewhat familiar to what he wore in the Vader comic, and I spent the whole episode thinking how it’s a perfect link to his future with the Sith and such, then it turns out to be a clone lol
I thought the same haha
A sure sign you’ve gotten older as a Star Wars fan…
2008-2013: Another procedural senate vote episode? UGH…
2023: a procedural senate vote episode?? HELL YES!!
Younger me: "I want more action! This is so boring!"
Older me: "Yay another senate meeting! I love hearing about galactic events."
@@StuartLugsden Haha, I won’t lie… I think for me it’s because this is the imperial senate, not the republic senate. I always wanted to see that in action ever since Tarkin mentioned it…
@@henryhammond7393 I wanted to see it Rebels. The closes we got was in season 1 when we see Palpatine and his guards on the view screen.
@@StuartLugsden Yeah me too… but I think Rebels was designed to be more in the style of the original trilogy where we’re in the heroes position and never actually see what’s going on at the center of the galaxy.
… that and the budget was way too low for Coruscant and Disney had the mindset of ‘prequels bad. No one like prequels’ at the time. 😅
@@henryhammond7393 yeah
I like how the Clone that wanted to blow the whistle was named Cade, like Luke's great-great grandson in Legends.
It is interesting to see that “Battle of Christophsis” has now become something of a leitmotif for Riyo Chuchi in these episodes.
I loved the use of the Clone Wars theme at the end of “Truth and Consequences”. After two episodes like these, hearing it genuinely hit differently.
These really felt like episodes of the clone wars, which was very exciting. The conspiracy arc was one of my favorites from the clone wars, at least this time it didn’t end with another member of Domino Squad dying, but I did still get teary eyed at the end when Echo said goodbye
I was gripping at my seat the whole time. With the number of onscreen deaths in these two episodes I genuinely had the thought of "they- they wouldn't kill Chuchi would they?" In the back of my mind. But I also just enjoyed how nobody in these two episodes was wearing the "idiot hat" and doing something out if character/dumb to progress the plot. Slip was scared yes, but he always kept to the shadows, Chichi's bodyguards were actually competent in their job if protecting her, the assassin taking himself out, the batches chaotic plan of covering their chaos with more chaos, but then at the end - palpatine turning this massive defete for Rampart into his own personal victory (to steal a line from Star Trek "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose"). Also, echos goodbye with the slow rendition of the theme song, I was literally holding back tears.
Also, mentions have been made to links with andor due to the political element of the episodes, but I also liked the link with the book "catylist", with Rampart having the ear of Grand Visier Mas Amada and thinking he was safe due to his proximity to power, much like Krenick who had a similar relationship with Mas Amada, yet whose relationship meant nothing when Tarking took controle of the Death Star following it's completion (with neither Rampart not Krenick no longer needed in the eyes of the Emperor with their projects on the verge of completion).
In rebels Pryce calls Constantine more politician than soldier. That is how rampart is portrayed. It's a pretty cool detail
1. I figured it was a Clone Trooper as the assassin, even with the modulation, it still sounded like one, however I'm not sure what Rex means by him not being a Clone Trooper. What markings are there on a face that tell you? Could this actually be a situation like what Obi-Wan did with Rako Hardeen?
2. I'm still in the camp that Omega is Force Sensative, and I think claiming that meditating not working for her because she isn't is false; she's just more like Anakin in that sense because it was rare he ever did. She's just got too much energy and can't tune out the noise and take her focus away from literally anything. She's been a little too lucky with some things for it not to be divine intervention and at some point, perhaps she'll manifest some power in the Force and surprise everyone.
3. I'd say that Season 1 is better than Season 2 has been so far, however the highs have been higher for Season 2, so they really just need to get the rest of this Season in gear and have more stories focused about the state of the Galaxy and the future of the Clones more frequently. Get some more Crosshair action, a followup on Cody, and see what Rex and Echo are doing, too. Hunter's holding everyone back from making a bigger difference in the Galaxy. He's the one they all turn to and he calls the shots, saying that other people are on a different path while the Bad Batch slunks away. He's the one that needs to be convinced because then Tech and Wrecker will follow.
This is the type of content I love from your channel, though not the only kind. I really enjoy your content, but tying real world happenings with what the show is trying to say, and reminding your viewers how the social commentary has been there since the beginning is great! I love the idea that the frustration about the last few episodes may be purposeful, and I hope you're right.
It was heartbreaking to see the emperor swoop in and take what he wanted, but it was masterfully written.
I was SOOOOOOOO excited to see Senator Chuti!!!😊
I love when Star Wars gets political. I get tired when people lie about Star Wars never being political. The OT was allegorical for the Vietnam War, and the PT is a critique of the Bush Administration.
I’ve enjoyed season 2 so far, I think stories told in the universe of SW that don’t drive some aspect of the plot are great, Star Wars needs character stories as much as it needs the big dramatic ones.
But hoooo boy did these two episodes grab me. What a fantastic set, particularly the first one.
Not that they’ve ever done anything less with their platform, but I was pretty stunned when Alex brought real world military spending into his analysis. Part of what I love about this channel is Alex and Mollie’s willingness to look at Star Wars beyond the context of itself and provide opinions that don’t have anything to do with “canon” in a way more toxic elements of the fan base totally could, but just… choose not to. I’m also especially appreciative of how grounded their opinions are in compassion, and how frequently they try to remind the fandom that even though space battles are cool, compassion is the intent of Star Wars as well; so maybe we should think a more critically about it and be a little less awful to each other generally.
You guys and the community you’ve created rock, I hope everyone’s lives are going well.
I feel like the assassin was a clone from Mount Tantiss, like a privately cloned operative. Considering Nala Se is working on something there for Palps.
I love the up-front analogies to the real-world that we see in the stories (and I love that Alex highlights them even further in his videos). Science fiction, regardless of whether it leans closer to fantasy or hard sci-fi, is at its' best when it's speaking truth to power, holding up the mirror, and forcing us to take a look at our own world through the lens of a loved fictional world.
And in doing so, helps us find a place in our world; not just for ourselves, but for others as well.
I have 1 small nitpick. Wheres Sly Moore? Why wasn't she on the podium with Sheev and Mas? And where wear the 4 staff members that operate the podium? Again this is a nitpick but this show has a large budget so I don't see why they couldn't create models for them. The senate scenes would be truly complete if they did this.
I imagine that Mas is Palpatine’s PR guy (and Senate referee) while Moore is assigned Palpatine’s not-so-public dirty work/espionage.
@@topnotchshinobi Yeah but she was absent for 7 seasons of clone wars because of the budget. The one for Bad Batch is much larger so they should have created a model for her and the podium operators because, again, it would make the senate scenes truly complete. I know this is a massive nitpick, I know I'm just whining but its something I just can't shake. I just want to see everyone in this art style.
These episodes absolutely rocked! What a way to mark the mid-season. They were tense, suspenseful, compelling and had great action and surprises.
It was so great to see Chuchi again! I gasped when I realised it was her, all grown up. I always felt she had an underrated arc in TCW, she was very timid and obedient when we first met her then when she returns in S3, she's standing her ground in the Senate and going move for move with the Trade Federation and these episodes took her a step further. I love her new look too, she looked fantastic! It's so great that she is the one mainly advocating for the Clones and harkens back to her friendship with Padmé who also was a big advocate for the Clones too. I love this continuation of Chuchi.
Honestly all of the political side of the story had me stressed, I was so worried for Chuchi throughout the whole thing when she starting questioning Rampart and digging into Kamino. I do feel it was smart of her to probe Rampart a bit about the events on Kamino to confirm for herself that he was hiding something. It was risky but I get it. It was great to see her working covertly with Bail and Rex. I also liked that she recognised Rex from working with him during the Clone Wars and how she acted like a mentor for Omega, mirroring how Padmé was a mentor for her.
And Darth Sidious voiced by Ian McDiarmid. Fantastic as always. Goddamn that voice gave me chills. Seeing Palpatine was awesome. His speech in the Senate was fantastic and the way he manipulated this unexpected situation to his advantage anyway was masterful. Classic Palpatine, indeed. It was a great inclusion and he was used very well. But damn the way he threw Rampart under the bus was dope. It was great to see Rampart do some political maneuvering of his own but Palpatine just truly showed how resourceful he was. He was clearly banking on Rampart to get the bill through the Senate but even when that plan fell through, he was still able to get his new military. It was an awesome scene.
I have mixed feelings about Echo leaving the Batch, even if it is only temporary. Even with his discussion with Omega in the beginning, it kinda felt totally out of left field and I'm not sure how his absence will impact the Batch, especially Omega. I am kinda bummed about that because Echo is one of my favourite Clones and members of the team so I am going to miss having him around. We'll just see how it feels without him in future episodes. Hopefully he makes a return in spectacular fashion!
This is why Sidious is the Devil. Even when he loses, he wins
Honestly seeing Rampart's actions in these 2 episodes really make me worried about what happened to Cody. While I doubt they'd just kill Cody off screen, that would be in line with what Rampart did in episode 7. As Slip said, he won't hesitate to kill clones who know too much. Cody certainly would qualify.
After a couple more lighthearted episodes, these hit hard on so many levels! First it feels like directly criticism of how America handles their military once the troopers discharges from service, especially those that are broken or trauamtized. The trooper who wanted to continue to fight felt like someone would have a hard time finding somewhere else to end up. It also brought up the difficult morale-question of creating life only for war and what do you do with it later. My issue was the ending where Echo left, because, like you have mentioned several times, is that he has sort of been sidelined and by leaving it more or less confirms they don't really know what to use him for.
Palpatine being one step ahead also felt very on point. Admiral Ramparte will go in two directions I think, either he is re-located somewhere to a lesser role, or he might turn on the Empire for casting him out. Either way I am pumped for where this is going!
@7:25 I thought it more so he wasn’t a kamino clone, maybe we will see the spartii clones or maybe a cloning process of genetically enchanced soldiers similar to the bad batch who would become the imperial unit known as the “SCAR Squadron”
I also found it interesting that it was the aliens arguing FOR the stormtroopers core and how the humans were AGAINST it
The politics and moral ambiguity is what I love about the prequel era. These episodes gave me what I wanted and more.
I don't share the frustration being talked about. The war has been over for less than a year. Hunter is clearly burnt out on fighting and causes and just wants to find a safe place for his squad to live. He knows that's not really possible with the Empire and he does feel some desire to help his brothers and those the Empire is suppressing. But he also knows that's a near impossible task given the state of the galaxy at that point in time.
As a viewer, knowing that whatever they might try beyond smuggling clones some safe locations, they are decades away from doing anything but getting themselves killed with very little accomplished, easily outweighs any desire to see them lead something large scale and die even before Kenobi, much less Rebels, Andor and the OT. I want them to survive long enough to at least see the Rebellion in a form that at least has a fighting chance. It's selfish yes, but something big drove Rex, Wolf and Gregor into hiding, and it's probably something to do with why we don't see any clones besides them from Rebels onward. We're roughly 8 years from the homeless elder trooper in Kenobi, but we don't know when the big thing happens. Basically having it happen sooner rather than later plays into Palpatine's hands just as much as the events in these episodes did.
This exact scenario plays out everyday for US soldiers. After their tours of duty and service, they come home and are tossed aside and forgotten
The subtle hints of the musical cues from Episode III Order 66 when Palpatine sealed the deal was perfect. Liner also referenced other musical cues when Omega was saying goodbye to Echo
At the beginning i thought the Assassin is Crosshair, but then i thought Crosshair wouldnt Miss so many shots
That was what gave it away, Crosshair does not miss. That trooper is apparently using a very similar rifle to his, including the grappling function, but I have to imagine that's probably a reasonably common imperial issue weapon that crosshair might have customized.
I loved these episodes. Similar to the solitary clone, Truth and consequences felt like a typical clone wars episode, with senators sneaking around, getting their bodyguards killed and investigating conspiracies. Where they differ is in the ending. A clone wars version of this ep would’ve ended triumphantly with the evidence being shown in the senate. Just like with the solitary clone, it keeps going afterwards and the bad guys take control of the situation and win. I love it when the bad batch shows parallels to how things used to be, because it shows just how much darker the state of the galaxy is now
I agree these two episodes were fantastic
I wonder if the Empire getting rid of the clones will also impact Crosshair. Crosshair seems to do whatever it takes to remain a trooper, so I doubt he'd take being dismissed well. That could lead to some interesting storytelling with Crosshair.
It's amazing to me how uneven Bad Batch is. Some episodes are generic kid adventures with completely predictable outcomes and then there are episodes like these two - atmospheric and cinematic conspiracy episodes with brilliant music, palpable drama and great acting. I wish every episode was like this. The best episodes of TCW were the ones that took themselves seriously. Bad Batch should continue this trend. Fewer naive kid adventures and more scheming please.
i definitely think the assassin clone is part of the early stages of the Death Trooper program: genetically/technologically altered, modified speech from the helmet, and the armor looks fairly similar at least from the back
Your comments on the institutions and military are so totally in line with George Lucas and how he viewed Star Wars back in the 70s.
"The government is more concerned about caring for the institution (of the military) than the actual people who make uo that institution"
Damn, came for a review of a cartoon.
Left with profound thoughts.
Bravo 👏
The clone assassin's helmet looks similar to the canon version of the phase two dark troopers, and the droid purge troopers from star wars legends.
Also fans have been saying echo has been underutilized maybe echo's temporary department from the bad batch will give the writers the opportunity to let him shine more.
Seeing riyo chuchi and rex again is amazing, emotional, and epic, especially with chuchi she was especially underutilized in the clone wars, she's as selfless as she is beautiful, helping the clones as best she can.
It was really unexpected when Echo had to leave the crew to go with Rex
But hopefully he'll come back hopefully in the Season 2 finale.
Gotta give it up to Chuchi's senate guard. I love star wars' seanate/royale guards bro like either their wildly incompentent or they're the most badass trooper for no reason. Well yes reason ig they gotta protect that senator. Also shoutout to Chuchi herself constantly being thrusted into horrible situations. First with the currupt prime minister from the arc in the clone wars she had to usurp and now like 2 years later the republic becomes the empire and she has to go through all this. props
Anyone else surprised rampart didn't recognize Omega?
Seriously. What the hell was “the believer.” That has to be snswered
Purge trooper/death trooper foreshadowing?
These two episodes were phenomenal, loved every minute of them. What a rollercoaster ride.
The riot racing was fun, to be fair. I actually enjoyed that episode more than at least the first of these two. I think this is an area where Star Wars risks taking itself too seriously. For the two-parter on Ryloth, Devil's Deal benefits a lot from Hera and Chopper. Truth and Consequences getting back to the Batch was kind of a relief, and it was nice to have Omega's perspective for the setting, e.g. seeing the Senate chamber.
This episode really made it clear the writing team had put themselves into a corner by making Tech and Echo fill the same role
That’s just part of Star Wars. It’s a continuum. Everybody has another character that is almost like them.
If all the episodes are dark and gritty, then it becomes stale and less impactful when they don't showcase the positive results or reasons for that fight against darkness.
There must be balance.
That clone assassin gave me some republic commando vibes...in the books there were Clone Covert ops who were specifically trained to hunt rouge clones.
Two most notable were Moz and Olun.
It was fascinating when they revealed the Assassin's face, because my girlfriend and I had just outright assumed it was Crosshair, but literally 10 seconds before I had remarked to her that it was weird for Crosshair to have missed so many shots while he was hunting Senator Chuchi. And it all becomes clear when the Clone's face is revealed and it isn't Crosshair. Yes, he's probably an excellent marksman which is why he became Rampart's assassin, but if Crosshair had been behind that blaster, Chuchi wouldn't have even made it into that factory let alone delayed him long enough for Rex to arrive.
The subtle ways that they do things like this is really one of the things that makes this show so great. In retrospect, it seems OBVIOUS that the assassin wasn't Crosshair, because he misses so many shots, but until his face is revealed that's just the assumption that we're all supposed to make, in spite of the clues that indicate otherwise.
On the US budget issue, defense is about half of the discretionary portion of the budget, meaning it excludes big-budget items such as social security and medicare and medicaid. The graphic in the video actually makes this very clear.
Probs was a centax clone created in a spaarti cloning facility that was on coruscants moon and also was a shadow trooper during the clone wars
These episodes made me feel a lot because it reminded me of last summer With the honoring our pact act and how it was playing with veterans healthcare.
Really appreciate you making the connection between the message about how authoritarians grab power in the galaxy far far away and how that applies to our own country and world. Star Wars writers have been ever more clear about exposing the sith/fascist strategy of deliberate division and scapegoating in order to conquer and rule for a select few.
Did you notice the pod riot race playing on the screen in the bar when Senator Chuchi is talking to the clones? At 9min 40sec in episode 7
I agree that episodes 1, 2, 4, and 5 of this season really are showing how poorly things will go (even when they have victories) and how hallow their lives are without real combat. We see the Bad Batch shine in episodes 6 and 8 when they are back in their element, fighting and covert operations.
Echo leaving is sad but thoughtful. His character was never really developed fully. I felt he had the most to work with (Skanko Minor, pre-capture clone experiences, loss of his original unit.)
These two episodes more than ANYTHING in TBB feel like they could have been adaptations of scripts written for Star Wars: Underworld.
Actually, I wonder how much of Underworld feeds into TBB as a whole. I'm sure parts of Solo, Andor, Rebels, OB1 Kenobi, and various comics and novels are adapted from Underworld or at least occupying similar thematic spaces. But TBB is in many ways the closest in concept to Underworld, and this episode set really hit home for me there.
You also didn't mention we went to the Martez sisters' shop in Level 1313 here! I was so psyched to hear Rex say he's using the space from some allies of his that are currently off world. I imagine Rafa and Trace are having some very interesting adventures that are also Underworld-esque. I'd love a novel from their perspective that ties into TBB and maybe into the Ahsoka novel!!! :)
One thing I think would of help the start of the second season was put episode 3 as the first episode with crosshair then run with what the first 2 episode they start the season with.but that just my opinion.i still like the bad batch these last 3 episode have been great I have enjoy where they are going in season 2 don't not feel like side mission now.
Also I find it interesting in the senate scene, that the parties making up the Pro-recruitment argument also former main players in the CIS.
Once again, we have Ian McDiarmid back as Palpatine. I love it when the Star Wars live action movie actors take the time to reprise their roles in animation.